


Life is weird and unpredictable

by Knocksthemoutwithbear



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Yeah it's the canon deaths
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:02:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28094337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Knocksthemoutwithbear/pseuds/Knocksthemoutwithbear
Summary: Five times Eliza Hamilton heard about Thomas Jefferson, and one time he talked to her.
Relationships: Alexander Hamilton/Elizabeth "Eliza" Schuyler
Kudos: 20





	Life is weird and unpredictable

1.  
Eliza had been teaching Philip to play piano when she heard the front door slam. "You can go now, it was very good today," she told Philip, who scurried away, happy to be done with his chore. She watched him go with a smile, before standing up to go find her husband, who had already stomped away. She found him pacing in his office, muttering to himself. "Alexander dear, what's wrong ?"  
"Jefferson's what's wrong !" exclaimed Alexander, throwing his hands up in the air in exasperation. "He's not in his right mind, I doubt he ever was, mind you, but the point is, he's blocking the way for my whole debt plan. He doesn't want his dear Virginia to make even a small effort for the nation. Just because of this one asshole, all my efforts so far are pointless, I'll have to work twice as hard, and Washington's not helping at all..."   
Eliza stepped into the office to lay a hand on Alexander's arm. "It will work out, in the end. I've read your plan, it's brilliant. You amaze me more every day. You'll see, in the end, it will pass, no matter how much Jefferson stands in the way." Alexander smiled at her. "Thanks."  
Eliza let go of him. "I'll let you work. Don't forget we're invited to the Washingtons, and don't you bring up politics while we're there. The kids don't need to hear the names you call some of your colleagues." Alexander laughed as she closed the door.  
They were going to kill him, one day, she thought. He always came back so worked up from their debates, it was a surprise he wasn't having heart problems yet. Or hadn't committed murder either, she thought. That Jefferson seemed set on making Alexander's life twice harder than it already was, from what Eliza heard from her husband. She had never met the man, but her husband's increasingly scathing descriptions were very amusing. The words that came back the most often was "obnoxious". Although from what she could tell, it seemed he wasn't all that different from Alexander himself. 

2.  
"That - that - magenta aberration wants to go to war now ! He's completely off his shits, what is he even thinking ?" Eliza didn't need to ask for an explanation when her husband crossed the room at full speed, yelling to himself. Having had the Secretary of State pointed out to her from afar by Alexander, she was aware of his rather showy fashion sense. Besides, no one else could make Alexander so angry over the course of a single day.  
"He wants to go to war with whom ?" she asked.   
"He wants to get involved with the French ! As if we had the means ! As if we were strong enough !" Eliza frowned. She did not like the prospect of war at all, not after she had finally got Alexander to settle down with their family.   
"Incredible," she said. "Going back to war, when we haven't even licked our wounds from the previous one yet ? It would be a disaster."   
"Well dear, you have more common sense than the Secretary of State," replied Alexander, disappearing into his office. Eliza sat with her head rested against her palm. The idea of war seemed so absurd, and so cruel to her. She would not let Alexander throw himself into this kind of danger again, she knew well enough how lucky they had been that he'd made it alive all the way here. If Thomas Jefferson wanted to rip her husband away from her, he'd have to face her personally, she thought vindictively.

3.  
"He lost ! Adams is president, there still is some sense in the world after all !" Eliza watched as Alexander whooped in joy, and picked up little James to twirl him in the air. "Haha, I wish I'd seen his sorry face when he learned the nation voted for Adams over him !"   
"I thought you didn't really like John Adams ?" asked Philip, frowning.  
"Anything's better than Jefferson to lead our country, Philip. Better hope you never see him become president."   
Eliza took James from Alexander's arms. "He's still vice-president, and you know President Adams won't be as favorable to you as President Washington was. You can bet he's going to use his knew position to be even more of a thorn in your side than before."  
Alexander waved a dismissive hand. "Like I said, that's not a real job anyway. And is he wants to annoy me, I'll just have to make sure I annoy him more."  
Despite that, Eliza couldn't help but feel like Alexader was going to have a hard time at work now. At least, she was glad Jefferson wasn't president, even if she personally thought it was going to happen sooner or later. She'd read some of the things he'd written against her husband, and it wasn't pleasant. Angelica had as well, and had written to Eliza that she wished she could slap the man in the face. While she wasn't going to go that far, Eliza certainly didn't have a very good opinion of the man now. He certainly sounded as obnoxious as Alexander had described.

4.  
Eliza sat near the window, watching the people come and go in the street, all lost in their own thoughts, completely unaware of her, not sparing her a thought... just like Alexander when he'd written that pamplet. The difference was that these people were perfect strangers, while Alexander was her husband. Yet there was no doubt that if these strangers had been able to see her, they would have known all about her. Where she was when her husband cheated on her, for how long, and so many more details Eliza didn't dare to think about. To cheat was a thing, but to humiliate his wife and children like this ?   
"He knows nothing of loyalty." As incensed by the sentence as Eliza had been when she had heard it repated to her the first time, she now considered it in a brand new light. She wondered how many of the many insults thrown at Alexander over the years had ultimately proved to be justified. Had Alexander's enemies known him better than Eliza had ? It would be surprising, she thought bitterly. He certainly spent more time with them than with her.   
She let her thoughts wander back to the years of slandering his husband had gone through. Now she found herself agreeing with most of it, and realized she would probably side with Jefferson in an argument. He'd been more clear-sighted than her, after all."Angelica and I were fooled into thinking he was the best man in the entire world," thought Eliza. "Even Washington trusted him. Why is it that Thomas Jefferson was the one to see right through him at the first glance ?" Probably because Madison had warned him, she mused. She wished she'd had someone to warn her back then, at that winter's ball, before she let herself become his wife. 

5.  
Eliza sat down at the breakfast table. Seven children were already there, eating away voraciously. It was incredible how resilient children could be, able to go on with life after a tragedy that left their parents broken. Alexander walked in, a folded newspaper in hand. He slumped down on his seat and stared at the paper for a while. "Well ?" prompted Angelica Jr. "What's the result ?" With a sigh, Alexander opened the paper for them all to see. "Jefferson wins," read Alexander Jr. "That's what you wanted, right ?"   
"That's how I voted, yes," said Alexander. Eliza felt a minuscule trace of a smile tug at her lips. Years before, if someone had told Alexander he would elect Jefferson as president, he would have flipped a table. Even now, she knew he still wanted to hit the president elect with a chair. This was going to be a rough four years for Alexander. Well, it could hardly get any worse than it was now, could it, thought Eliza.   
"Jefferson president and Burr vice-president," thought Eliza. "You're really facing a storm now, Alexander, and it would be foolish to hope they'll spare you. They're like hungry wolves trailing the wounded deer." Suppressing a sigh, she poured herself a cup of coffee. Alexander was reading the rest of the page with a distasteful expression. Eliza wasn't too worried : he'd been through worse, they were going to make it.

+1.  
Eliza drew herself up with dignity as her children huddled around her. "Good afternoon, Mr. President, what brings you here ?" she asked.   
"My respects, Mrs. Hamilton," said Jefferson. "I wished to personally present my condolences to you and your children and announce that your late husband's killer is being searched across the country. He will be dealt with accordingly."  
Eliza nodded. "Thank you, Mr. President. It was very kind of you to come in person."  
"I hope you are faring well ?"   
Eliza sighed. "Well enough. We will figure it out, my sister is here for us, I'm not alone. I have hope for my children's future."  
Jefferson nodded, looking at the children. "If I may, they look just like their father," he said softly. "Well, Mrs. Hamilton, I shouldn't intrude more, I will take my leave. I wish you all the best for the future."  
"Thank you, Mr. President. I wish you the same for your term."  
Once he was gone out the door, Eliza watched him from the window. How weird and unpredictable life was sometimes ; Alexander's enemy was now her ally in avenging her husband. Recollecting over the many times she'd heard about the man Alexander had hated most, ever since her first impression, she had to admit : he was indeed not that different from Alexander.


End file.
